Coal-mining machine



firm/Wm pri 18,1944., c. E. HAIR ETAL COAL MINING MACHNE Filed Dec. 12, 1942 3 sheets-sheet 1 C. E. HAIR ETAL COAL MINIG MACHINE Filed Deo,`| 3.2, 1.942

April' 1s, 144..

3 Sheets-Sheel'l 2 TTOEA/EK April 18, 1944., Q E- HNR ET AL l coAL MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. l2, 1942 Patented Ap-r." 18,

UNITED .STATES PATENT Norner:

focali-MINING MACHINE Charles Edwin Hair and Richard T. Hair, Benton, Ill.

Application December 12, 1942, Serial No. 468,794

1': claims (ci. 2oz- 12) This invention relates generally to mining-machines. More` particularly, our invention has `to do with, and has for its object the improvement generally of, coal-mining machines .of the articulated or jointed type illustrated and described in our present pending patent applications, Serial No. 436,648, filedMarch 28, 1942, Serial No. 447,-

052, filed June 15, 1942, and Serial No. 463,364,

. elongating condition and their connecting yield- Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental longitudinal sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the line 3 3, Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the lines t-4, Figure 1, and 4 6, Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the line 5-5, Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view of the machine taken approximately on the line 6 6, Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through one of the jack-units of the machine taken approximately on the line 'l-l, Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a similar view taken approximately on the line 8-8, Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a reduced elevational view of the machine as disruptingly or dislodgingly disposed in a coal wall or body;

Figure 10 is a similar view, illustrating some of the units of the machine in successively pistonelongating condition for the breaking down of the coal wall or body;

Figure 11 is an enlarged elevational view of the machine, with adjacent units and their connecting exible or yielding block' partly broken away'and in section, as `disruptingly or dislodgingly disposed. as in Figure 9, in a coal-wall orl body; and

Figure 12 is a similar view showing several of 55 the units of the machine in successively pistoning blocks in either compressed or extended condition, as in the breaking down of the coal-wall or body.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, the machine, briefly outlined, includes a series of jack-units A,- each unit, in turn, comprising opposite individual end-jacks a, a, and a, selected plurality of individual intermediate jacks a', 'the jack-units A of selectednumber and the end and intermediate jacks a, a', of each unit A being hingedly connected one to the other for articulation in a so-called up-and-down direction, all as presently fully appearing,

Each individual lackl a, a', as best seen in Figures 3, 7, and 8, consists of a cylinder B and a 'preferably two-part extensible or telescopic plunger or piston C. 'In the present instance, the cylinder B is in the form oi.' a block or body l preferably of rectangular contour or shape in plan, as seen in Figure 3, and of selected height and dimensions for strength and rigidity, block l4 preferably having a transversely disposed rounded or arcuate under face, as at 2, as best seen in Figure 7, and provided longitudinally with a cylinder-forming cavity or chamber, as at 3, opening y to and upon its upper face.

Piston C is sized `for slidable co-operation with cylinder B and telescopically comprises a tubular portion 4 annularly enlarged and thereby provided adiacent its lower end with an annular shoulder, as at 5, for engagement with a ring 6 thread-seated inthe upper end of the cylindercavity 3 for limiting outward or expanding movement of the piston-portion 4 with respect to the cylinder B and a piston-rod portion l similarly enlargedand thereby provided with an annular shoulder, as at 8, for engaging with an annular -shoulder 9 provided upon, and adjacent the upper end of, the member 4 for similarly limitingoutward or expanding movement of the piston 1 with respect to the-tubular member 4. It might be here mentioned that the cylinder B and the piston C are so relatively proportioned and sized as to be completely nested when in normal or contracted condition,` as best seenin Figures l and "I, and to'have a stretch of approximately three inches when in abnormal or fully expanded or extended condition, as best seen in' Figures 2 and 8.

At their respective lower ends, the piston members 4 and 1 are annularly reduced, as best seen in Figures 7 and 8, for accommodating suitable cylinder-wall engaging or sealing ring-assemblies I0, I 0, preferably held in place by a suitably sized anged cap II and an interposed ring I2, the cap II being apertured in its end wall, as at I3, for purposes presently appearing.

Threadedly engaged, as by a stud I4, with, and seated upon the upper or free end of, the pistonrod 1, is a head D constructed of any suitable preferably metallic material, rounded or arcuate upon its upper face, as at d, and cut away and shouldered upon its perimeter, as at d', for smoothly and snugly accommodating a correspondingly apertured disk or ring I having an obliquely turned down annular marginal portion I5' whose upper face e arcuately registers with the face d of the head D for conjointly accommodating the correspondingly arcuately shaped under face of a block E preferably of rectangular outline or contour in plan and having a transversely disposed arcuate upper face, all for purposes presently fully appearing, the block E being shiftably or tiltably held in place upon the head D as by means of block and disk engaging fastening members or the like I5", as shown. And also for purposes presently appearing and as in our copending application, Serial No. 436,- 648, fully illustrated and described, the blocks E of adjacent jacks of a unit are ixed permanently, though flexibly, together by an interposed rubber or other yielding, elastic, or resilient block E'.

The cylinder-forming block or body I of each intermediate jack a is provided in the plane of its lower half and upon its opposite sides with angularly opposed somewhat rectangular extensions F, which project lengthwise-of the particular jack or unit, while the cylinder-forming block or body I of each end jack a as likewise provided in the plane of its' lower half, but merely upon one left or right side, as the case may be, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, with a similar oblongrectangular extension F', which also projects lengthwise of the particular jack or unit, each extension F, F', being formed or provided upon its inner face with a cavity or recess, as at I6, having an annular side wall threaded, as at I1, for seating a ring G correspondingly threaded upon its outer periphery and provided circumferentially upon its inner periphery with a pair of suitably spaced ball-grooves or outer races I8, I8, co-operable with opposed companion ballgrooves or inner races I9 formed circumferentially upon the outer peripheral face of a tubular wrist-pin 20, which latter has a length equal to the combined width of two of the rings G and with which rings G the pin 2u is co-operable in hingedly joining together two intermediate jacks a' or an end jack a and an intermediate jack a' of a unit A, as presently fully appears.

As best seen in Figures 3, 4, and 5, each body or block extension F, F', is formed in a side face thereof with a threaded aperture, as at 2|, which at its inner end opens into a groove-communicating recess or. cavity g in the ring G and through which aperture 2I and cavity g suitable spheres or balls 22 may be poured to seat within the races formed by the companion grooves I'8-I9, the aperture 2I being in turn, closed by a threaded plug 23 having a shank or end-projection 23' of suillcient diametrical dimension for retaining the spheres 22 to their respective races.

Formed in the base of the cylinder-block I of each respective .intermediate jack a' of a unit A recess or cavity I6 and at its opposite end with the cylinder-chamber 3, as best seen in Figure 6, are opposed hydraulic or other suitable fluid channels 24, 24.

Similarly formed or provided in each end jack a of a unit A, are opposed hydraulic or other suitable luid channels 24, 24', the channel 24 likewise communicating. at its opposite ends with the recess or cavity I6 and cylinder-chamber 3 of the particular jack, and`the channel 24' communicating at its inner end with the cylinder-chamber 3 of the jack and at its outer end. opening into.

a small chamber 25 formed in a block enlargement 26 and internally threaded for accommodating a nipple or the like 21 for communicating connection, as by means of a flexible hose or tubular sections H, with an adjacent jack unit A. In this connection, it may here be,said that the machine as a' whole may include any selected number of units A disposed in suitably spaced end-to-end relation and suitably joined so as to .permit the respective units A to shift one relatively to the other in an up-and-dov/n direction, the chamber 25 of the end jack a of the rear-end unit of a particular machine being, of course, equipped with a suitable closure-plug or the like 2B and the seated nipple 2l in the end jack a of the front-end unit A being adapted for communicating connection with any suitable source of hydraulic or other fluid supply.

Means for coupling the several units A of a machine for articulation in an up-and-down direction is fully illustrated and described in our co-pending application, Serial No. 463,364, to which reference is made. For brevity, therefore, a description of such means is here omitted; suffice now merely to say that, for joining two units A for articulation, respective end jacks a are provided with longitudinally outwardly presented relatively thick or block-shaped ears 29 having transverse openings, as at 30, for. accommodating suitable pivot pins, not shown, whereby, as will be evident, one unit A may hingedly shift or articulate vertically or obliquely relatively to its adjacent unit A in a coal dislodging operation, each machine preferably including one unit A for every three feet of under-cut.

And, in turn, in joining two intermediate jacks a' of a unit A or in joining an end jack a with an intermediate jack a' of a unit A, a ring G is thread-seated and housed in each respective cavity or recess I5 of companion extensions F or F', a tubular wrist-pin 20 fitted at one end-portion within one of such rings G, the extensions F or F of the particular jacks then disposed with their inner faces in opposed relation, and the opposite end portion of the particular wrist-pin 20 then seated in the companion ring G of the particular joint, when the races I8-I9 so formed are filled with the spheres or balls 22, as previously described, the wrist-pin 20 being thus also entirely housed within the said companion extensions.

It will be noted that the wrist-pins 20 are lengthwise disposed in right-angular relation to the pistons C and their accommodating cylinders B. and thus adjacent or adjoining jacks of a unit A are hingedly joined or connected for relative articulation in line with the several pistons of themachine or, as it may be said, in an up-and-down-direction, the balls or spheres 22 functioning not only as anti-friction members for facilitating hinged movements or articulations of the respective jacks, but in also retaining suchA jacks in such hinged or articulate relaaseacva i tion, and the resilient blocks E yieidingly permittingindependent fluid-actuated movement oi the respective pistons C and relative tilting or angular movement of the heads E and also governing or controlling, as it may be said, the hinged or pivotal separation of adjoiningL jacks in their relative up-and-down movement.

It will further be noted that, in so hingedly connecting adjoining jacks for relative articulation, the tubular wrist-pins 2li align or register with respective iiuid channels of the jacks, and hence the actuating fluid entering the channel 2N of an end jack aof a unit A iiows into and through the cylinder-chamber 3 lof the one jack and then, in succession, through the channels 2l,

10. -In all suchv movements, the outward move- Hence the machine augmenta .and facilitates shifting movement of the dislodged coal, and, at

the same time the relative iiexibility of the units particular unit A being 'telescopically extended in sequence as the actuating fluid thus flows from one jack to the next jack of the particular unit.

Accordingly, in use and operation, an undercut or keri, as J, is suitably formed or produced in or adjacent the bottom level of the particularl wall or body K otr coal being mined, and in suitably spaced relation upwardly from the undercut J a desired plurality of suitably spaced and elongated annular holes, as at L, are formed in the coal-body K. One orvmore machines of our invention are then lengthwise disposed in selected holes L, as indicated in Figures 9 and ll, with the several .pistons or plungers C of the respective jacks a. a', thereof in normal or contracted condition.

The hose or pipe H of the end unit of the particular machine is suitably connected with a source of hydraulic or other'fluid supply, and the fluid in suilcientvolume or amount led into 'the successive cylinders` B of the successive jacks a,- a'. Hence, as the pistons C o! a unit A are thus successively hydraulically elongated or extended, A

that portion, as at k, of the wall K intermediate the under-cut J and the several holes L is, under the relatively great pressure exerted upon the coal wall or body K by the yieldingly connected blocks D ofthe elongating pistons C, successively disrupted and dislodged and its removal from the mine thereby conveniently facilitated, as is indicatedinFigures 10 andlZ.

In such a dislodging operation, the pivot or hinge coupling between, and in the lower half of, the several .units A of .a machine and also between, and in the lower half oi', the several lacks voi? a unit, all such couplings being yieldingly or resiliently governed orr controlled, asl it may be said, bythe yielding blocks E', readily permit a hingedly shitting movement in graduated increasing amountfrom the base of each jack or unit to its block E, comparable to the greater- A and their several jacks a, a', eliminates and y body, as well as subsequent movement of the respective units A under the shifting movement oi the disrupted coal.

We may add that, of course, on a draining back of the motive iluidy the several pistons C of each respective unit A will automatically return to normal contracted condition, when the machine may be easily removed for successive like operations.

In all such shifting movements of the respective units`A of a particular machina'the hose connections H are protected from injury or damage by the underlying ears 29 of the units A and the unit coupling means, as in our said application, Serial No. 463,364, fully described, the

end-hose H, we may here add, being also reinforced and protected `from damage or breakage during mining operations as by means of an inverted U-shaped brace or guard 3l having its opposite arms 3|' disposed on opposite sides of, and by means' of a pin or the like 32 pivotaily secured to, the ear 29 of the end unit 'A of the particular machine.

As shown in Figure 6, the rings G are preferably suitably equipped with sealingvgaskets 33 and 4it is to be understood that changes and modiiications in the `form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the machine may be made and substituted for those herein shownand described without `de parting from the nature and principle of our invention. l

Having thus described our invention. what we claim and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

l. In a mining-machine, a pair oi' jacks each including a co-operable cylinder and piston, said jacks having companion extensions provided with opposed recesses, companion rings seated in said recesses, and means comprising a wrist-pin engaging the rings for hingedly connecting the jacks for articulation in an up-and-down direction.

2. In amining-machine, a pair of lacks each including a co-operable cylinder and piston; said jacks having companion extensions having opposed recesses, companion rings thread-seated in said respective recessesand means compris-` ing a wrist-pin engaging said rings and spheres engaging the wrist-pin and rings for hingediy connecting the jacks for articulation in an upand-down direction.

3. In a mining-machine, a pair of jacks'each including a co-operable cylinder and. piston, 4salti jacks 'having lcomparision extensions having opposed recesses, rings thread-seated in said respective recesses and provided upon their inner periphery with a circumferential groove, a wristpin engaging the rings and provided circumferentially upon its outer periphery with companion grooves, and spheres seated in said grooves.

4. In a mining-machine, a pair of jacks each including a co-operable cylinder and piston, said jacks having companion extensions having opposed recesses, rings thread-seated in said respective recesses and provided circumerentially upon their r inner periphery with a pair of lspaced grooves, a wrist-pin pivotally engaging the rings and provided circumierentially upon its outer periphery with'companion grooves, each said extension having a sphere-accommodating aperture opening to its said grooves, and spheres projected through said' apertures to loosely seat in said I grOOVeS.

andere y11. In a'mining-machine, a pair of jacks each including a block,la cylinder inthe block, a

reciprocatory piston working in and with respect f to the cylinder, and a head-block mounted on the outer end of, and movable with and relatively to, the piston, means joining the blocks l.for jack articulation, and -a resilient member .yieldingly connecting the head-blocks of the pistons.

12. In a mining-machine, a pair of pivotally connected jacks each having a cylinder anda piston working `in the cylinder, blocks mounted on and having connection with the pistons for sliding movement in an arcuate path, and means ilexibly connecting the blocks 4of the pistons.

13.v Ina mining-machine, a pair of jacks each including a block, a cylinder in the block. a

5. In a'mining-machine, a jack comprising "a cylinder-chamber providing member, a recessed hinge-forming extension -on said member, a ring seated in said recess, and a wrist-pin engaging position within said aperture for closure thereof and for retaining the spheres in the respective races.

7. In a mining-machine, a pairof jacks each including a co-operable cylinder and piston, means hingedly joining theA jacks one with the other for articulation, and means'also joining the jacks for yieldingly controlling the relative hinged movement of said jacks.

8. In a mining-machine, a pair of jacks each including a co-operable Acylinder and piston, means hingedly joining the jacks one with the other for articulation, and means including resilient blocks also joining. the jacks for yieldingly controlling the relative hinged movement of said jacks and permitting fluid-actuated movement of the respective pistons.

9. In a mining' machine, a pair of jacksy each including ya. co-operable cylinder and piston, meansl including a tubular wrist-pin hingedly reciprocatory piston working in and with respect to the cylinder, and a head-member mounted on the piston, the head-member being movable with the -pistony and the head and piston having co-operable faces for relative sliding movement in an arcuate path, means connecting the blocks for unit articulation, and a resilient block yieldingly connecting the head-members.

14. In a mining-machine, a pair of jacks each.

including a block, a cylinder in the block, a piston reciprocatory in and relatively to the cylinder, an extension projecting longitudinally from, and in the plane of the lower half of, the block,

and a head mounted on and .movable'with the piston, the head and piston having co-operable faces for relative sliding movement in.an arcuate path and the extensions of the blocks beinii disposed with their inner faces in opposed relation, means including a wrist-pin engaging said extensions for joining the jacks for articulation. and a resilient block yieldingly connecting said heads.

15. In a mining machine, a jack including a cylinder and a co-operable piston, a head on the piston having an arcuate upper face provided with diametrically opposite marginal shoulders,

' for seating upon the arcuate upper face of the joining the jacks one with the otherfor articula,

tion and' providing for fluid communicationy therebetween, and means yincluding resilient blocks also joining the jacks for yieldingly controlling the relative hingedmovement of said jacks and permitting vduid-actuated movement of the respective pistons.

l0. In a mining-machine, a pair of jacksV each including ablock, acylinder in the block, and a reciprocatory piston working in and with respect to the cylinder, means joining the blocks for ingly connecting thejack-pistons. l

jack articulation, and a resilient member yieldpiston-head, and an apertured plate fitting about the head and attached tothe block, kthe plate. having engagement with the head at-saidshoulders for retaining the block onthe head for tilting movement of the block and piston in the longitudinal direction of the machine.

16.` In a mining machine, a plurality of Jacks eachv` including a block, a cylinder, in 'thev block, and-a .reciprocatory piston working in and with,

respect tothev'cylinden'means joining the blocks for jack-articulation, andy a series of lilexibly connected head-members mounted on and traveling with the pistons. y Y v.

17.'In amining machine, a plurality of jacks each.4 including ablock, a cylinder in the block.- and a'v reciprocatorypiston workingin and'with t respect to the cylinder, means joining the .blocks for jack-articulation; and a lseries -of flexibly connected head-members mounted on and traveling with the pistons, the respective Apistons'and blocks being relatively shiftable in an arcuate path longitudinally of-the machine.-A Y,

r CHARLES EDWIN` HAIR..

:RICHARDV l'1t-HAIR. 'Y 

